What Imagine Housing does

Imagine Housing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affordable housing developer founded in 1987 as St. Andrew's Housing Group by Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church and rebranded under its current name in 2011. The organization is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, and operates as the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in East King County, owning and operating 639 permanently affordable rental apartments across 15 properties that house 1,572 residents as of 2025. It serves a diverse low-income population including seniors (378 residents aged 62+), veterans (49 served), families with children (406 children), households living with disabilities (221), and formerly homeless households (313), with rents tiered at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 80% of Area Median Income set-asides.

The organization's core product is its portfolio of affordable housing communities—including named properties such as Velocity, 30Bellevue, Athene, Andrew's Glen, Andrew's Heights, and Francis Village—constructed to the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, which incorporates high R-value insulation, Energy Star-rated appliances, and durable building materials. Day-to-day property management is outsourced to Indigo Real Estate, while Imagine Housing itself delivers resident services through case management (6,833 hours in 2025), a basic-needs distribution program (17,137 items distributed in 2025), and 473 community engagement events, supported by a network of 120 program partners including KidVantage, Platefull, Hopelink, and IKRON. The model is not a traditional SaaS or product business: revenue is a blend of tiered rent payments, government housing trust funds, Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bond financing, philanthropic grants, and individual donations raised through direct appeals and an annual Vibrant Futures Luncheon.

Distribution occurs through an online application process at imaginehousing.org, where eligible applicants are placed on a first-come, first-served basis subject to income qualification and background checks. Growth is driven by development partnerships with faith-based organizations (Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church, St. Peter's United Methodist Church) and municipalities (City of Kenmore), with a stated goal of doubling the unit count within five years and an active pipeline of approximately 300 units across Forest Edge Apartments (~100 units, groundbreaking 2027), The Approach at Kenmore (~$90 million total project cost combining ~100 rental units with 18 Habitat for Humanity homeownership units, opening 2031), and the St. Peter's UMC project (~100 units at 80% AMI, opening 2031).

Name

Imagine Housing

Legal name

Imagine Housing

Website

https://imaginehousing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Imagine Housing is a Bellevue, Washington-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and operates 639 permanently affordable rental apartments across 15 properties in East King County, serving 1,572 low-income residents including seniors, veterans, families, and formerly homeless households at 30%-80% AMI tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development

NAICS

Other Community Housing Services (624229), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable/Subsidized Independent Living (HUD/LIHTC) Communities (HLADAAAB)

Keywords

• Affordable housing development
• Affordable rental housing
• Resident support services
• Low-income housing
• Nonprofit housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirkland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Affordable Rental Income: Rental revenue from 639 permanently affordable apartments across 15 properties. Rents are tiered based on resident income levels (30%, 40%, 50%, 60% AMI set-asides) and household size.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, planned giving, securities donations, DAF gifts, and in-kind donations of basic needs items to support residents.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government housing trust funds, tax-exempt bond financing, Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and philanthropic grants.
4. Event Fundraising: Annual Vibrant Futures Luncheon and other fundraising events to generate community support and charitable contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Imagine Housing is a nonprofit affordable housing developer that develops, owns, and operates permanently affordable rental apartment communities for low-income individuals and families in East King County, Washington. The organization manages a portfolio of 639 apartments across 15 properties, with rents tiered at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). In addition to housing, Imagine Housing provides wraparound resident services including case management, basic needs distribution, community programming, and connections to health and social service partners.

Product overview

Imagine Housing is a nonprofit affordable housing developer offering a portfolio of 639 permanently affordable apartments across 15+ communities in East King County, Washington. The organization provides housing at various AMI levels (30%, 40%, 50%, 60%) through properties including Velocity, 30Bellevue, Athene, Andrew's Glen, Andrew's Heights, and Francis Village. Resident services complement the housing portfolio with case management, basic needs distribution, and community programming. The development pipeline includes Forest Edge Apartments (Bellevue, ~100 units), The Approach at Kenmore (~100 rental units plus 18 homeownership units via Habitat for Humanity), and St. Peter's UMC Project (~100 units in Bellevue), with additional projects like Samma Senior Apartments in Bothell under development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Communities Portfolio Portfolio of 639 permanently affordable rental apartments across 15 properties in East King County, including Velocity, 30Bellevue, Athene, Andrew's Glen, Andrew's Heights, and Francis Village. Rents are tiered at 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and leased to qualifying low-income households through an online application process managed by Indigo Real Estate.
• Resident Services Program Wraparound support services for residents including case management (6,833 direct service hours in 2025), basic needs distribution (17,137 items in 2025), community engagement events (473 events in 2025), and connections to health and social service partners. Delivered to 1,013 residents who directly interacted with Resident Services in 2025.
• Forest Edge Apartments Proposed affordable rental community developed in partnership with Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church on church-owned property in Bellevue. Approximately 100 units serving households at 40%-60% AMI.
• The Approach at Kenmore Proposed six-story multifamily development at 7010 NE 181st Street, Kenmore, combining affordable rental and homeownership opportunities in partnership with the City of Kenmore and Habitat for Humanity SKKC. Approximately 100 rental units plus 18 homeownership units; total project cost about $90 million.
• St. Peter's UMC Project Proposed multi-building, multi-family affordable housing project at 17222 NE 8th St, Bellevue, developed in partnership with St. Peter's United Methodist Church. Approximately 100 units at 80% AMI, including 12 studios, 27 one-bedrooms, 27 two-bedrooms, and 36 three-bedrooms.
• In-Kind Donations Program Basic needs donation program that stocks cleaning supplies, hygiene products, paper products, and gift cards (from Fred Meyer, Safeway, Target, and Ross) for residents during times of need. In 2025, 17,137 basic needs items were distributed to residents.
• Samma Senior Apartments Senior-specific affordable housing development in Bothell designed for residents aged 62+, currently under construction as of 2025. Waitlist applications opened September 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of Imagine Housing households maintain housing for a year or more
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indigo Real EstatecoreOthers · 1 July 2024Indigo Real Estate provides property management services for the entire Imagine Housing portfolio of 15 buildings as of July 2024. Applications and background checks are processed through Indigo.
• St. Peter's United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024St. Peter's United Methodist Church advocated for city rezone and developed conceptual plan for housing. Imagine Housing was selected through RFP process to develop the site for affordable housing serving households at 80% AMI or below.
• Saint Andrew's Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church launched St. Andrew's Housing Group in 1987 which became Imagine Housing in 2011. The church is partnering with Imagine Housing to develop Forest Edge Apartments on their property, with rents affordable to households earning 40-60% AMI.
• Habitat for Humanity SKKCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Habitat for Humanity SKKC is creating 20 affordable homeownership opportunities within The Approach at Kenmore project. They build permanently affordable homes for families earning 30-80% AMI and have built over 340 homes across King County. This is a unique partnership combining rental and homeownership housing.
• KidVantageminorOthersProvides children and baby supplies to Imagine Housing residents. In 2025, 1,211 orders of children and baby supplies were distributed through this partnership.
• PlatefullminorOthersProvides grocery and food deliveries to Imagine Housing residents as part of the 120 program partners enriching residents' lives.
• HopelinkminorOthersProvides grocery and food deliveries to Imagine Housing residents as part of the program partner network.
• IKRONminorOthersProvides 290 hours of behavioral health support to Imagine Housing residents in 2025.
• Eastside Legal Assistance ProgramminorOthersHelped administer rental assistance to residents during COVID-19, distributing over $300,000 in rental assistance so 120 households maintained stability.
• Eastside Community Aid Thrift ShopminorOthersReferred for used household item donations when Imagine Housing cannot accept them.
• St. Vincent de PaulminorOthersReferred for used household item donations when Imagine Housing cannot accept them.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• King County Housing Authority: Public housing authority operating affordable rental housing across King County. Comparable as a regional affordable housing provider/developer serving overlapping low-income populations, though it is a public agency rather than a nonprofit.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit developer and investor in affordable housing, with Pacific Northwest activity. Comparable mission and development model, but operates at much larger scale across multiple geographies.

Direct peers

• Plymouth Housing: Seattle-based nonprofit operating permanent supportive housing with on-site services for people experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable nonprofit model combining affordable housing with wraparound resident services; Sean Heron previously led roles there.
• Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI): Seattle-based nonprofit developer and operator of affordable housing serving low-income individuals, including people experiencing homelessness. Closely comparable nonprofit affordable housing developer in the Seattle/King County region with a similar service-rich model.
• Mercy Housing Northwest: Regional arm of a national nonprofit affordable housing developer, building and operating affordable rental housing across the Pacific Northwest. Sean Heron previously served as Board Chair of Mercy Housing Northwest.
• Bellwether Housing: Seattle-based nonprofit affordable housing developer providing rental homes to low-income individuals and families. Closely comparable mission and operating model (nonprofit rental housing developer with resident services), serving overlapping populations.
• Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County (SKKC): Regional Habitat affiliate building permanently affordable homes for families earning 30-80% AMI. Direct partner of Imagine Housing at The Approach at Kenmore and a peer nonprofit housing developer in King County.
• Catholic Community Services / Catholic Housing Services: Western Washington nonprofit operating affordable housing programs for low-income seniors, families, and people with special needs. Comparable faith-rooted nonprofit model and Eastside/Seattle service area.
• Compass Housing Alliance: Seattle-area nonprofit providing affordable housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable integrated housing-plus-services nonprofit model serving similar populations.

Others

• Yardi (Affordable Housing Software/Tech Provider): Industry-leading property management and affordable housing compliance software platform used by many LIHTC/HUD operators. Ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, but illustrative of the technology layer supporting affordable housing operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imaginehousing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Imagine Housing